Half of I-440 Could Close for Months in 2019

It could mean the end of potholes by the end of 2019, but it would be a nightmare for many until then — the Tennessee Department of Transportation could close half of I-440 at once as it works on repairs.

While no plan has yet been determined by the state agency, TDOT announced Wednesday that it is exploring the option of closing one chunk of I-440 at a time to speed up long overdue repairs to the downtown bypass, as opposed to utilizing lane closures.

"This construction option could result in substantial completion of the project in less than one year," states the agency in a press release. "Traditional construction methods, which would include significant lane closures along the entire facility, are estimated to take 36 months to complete."

What this would mean for drivers, as currently envisioned, is that I-440 — all six lanes, east and west — would be closed eastward from the I-65 split to the merger with I-24, likely next January. That segment of the highway would be closed for at least three months as road construction crews worked their magic. Once complete, all of I-440 west of I-65 to the I-40 merger would be closed, probably until November 2019.

The agency says their research shows shutting down chunks of the entire highway will actually be less of a traffic hassle than lane closures.

"Preliminary traffic models have shown that reducing I-440 to two lanes in each direction for a three year period would result in near-constant heavy traffic queues on I-440 and dramatically increase congestion on surrounding routes," reads the agency's statement.

TDOT currently has four companies preparing proposals that will include final design of the project, plans for how it will be constructed and a bid amount. The proposals are due in July, but it is not certain at this point that TDOT will definitively close the highway, only that it wants the companies to include the option in the proposals.

If this method does go forward, the contractor awarded the project would be required to have the entire highway open by mid-November 2019, before the start of the winter holiday travel season, or face penalties of $400,000 per day.

UPDATE, 12 p.m.: Mayor David Briley has tweeted his tentative support for the closures, promising to work with the state to minimize traffic hassles.